The European Commission has allocated almost E13bn towards space projects over the next ten years.
The institution has announced proposals to finance both its satellite navigation programmes Galileo and EGNOS and its GMES programme (Global Monitoring…
The European Commission has allocated almost E13bn towards space projects over the next ten years.
The institution has announced proposals to finance both its satellite navigation programmes Galileo and EGNOS and its GMES programme (Global Monitoring for Environment and Security) for Earth observation for the period 2014 – 2020.
For the latter, the Commission proposes to finance the estimate E5.8bn budget of the GMES programme outside the EU financial framework. To do so it plans to set up a specific GMES fund similar to the model chosen for the European Development Fund, with financial contributions from all 27 EU Member States based on their gross national income (GNI). This will require an intergovernmental agreement between the EU Member States meeting within the Council.
The programme will be coordinated by the Commission and its financial management could be delegated to the Global Navigation Satellite System Agency (GSA).
At the same time, the EC has proposed a new framework for the financing and governance of the two European satellite navigation programmes Galileo and EGNOS, the GPS signal augmentation system, for the period 2014-2020.
The Commission proposes to earmark E7bn to guarantee the completion of the EU satellite navigation infrastructure, including the operations of both the space and terrestrial infrastructures and any necessary replenishment or replacement activities.
The proposal also recalls that the Union remains the owner of the systems. This means that the management of the programmes’ exploitation should be delegated to the European GNSS Agency while management of the programmes’ deployment should be delegated to the European Space Agency.
Vice President Antonio Tajani, responsible for industry and entrepreneurship said: “A lot has been achieved by both Galileo and EGNOS. Looking to the bright future ahead the key message of financial stability for these flagship programmes is of paramount importance so that European industry and citizens can reap all their benefits. Both Galileo and EGNOS are strongly contributing to our industrial competiveness and innovation in key sectors with great economic potential. The increase of our know-how satellite navigation technology and service will significantly support European industry in these difficult times.”
Galileo is expected to launch initial services in 2014, six years later than originally planned, with full services expected in 2019/2020. The first two operational Galileo satellites were launched on 21 October 2011 with a second launch of a further two spacecraft set to take place in 2012.
The project has suffered a series of issues regarding its budget. After initial plans to split the system’s costs with private industry were scrapped as unworkable, the EC has been continually forced to increase Galileo’s budget to deal with unforeseen overruns. In January 2011, the Commission sharply increased the projected cost of the project by E1.9bn to E6.5bn due to such a number is issues including the difficulty of obtaining fixed prices from industrial partners. The original budget estimates had been around E2.5bn.
EGNOS (the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service) has been officially in operation since 1 October 2009 although has been tested since 2005. Comprising three satellites and more than 40 ground stations, the system is designed to improve GPS signals, particularly in Northern Europe.
